2300 St. Paul optimizes design on prime Bucktown site
You might say Turnberry Proper- ties has cornered the market in Bucktown.
The developer, which has current projects in neighborhoods from the West Loop to Rogers Park, nabbed a one-of-a-kind site in Bucktown for its condo development, 2300 St. Paul. Turnberry bought out a former chicken feed factory on a prime Bucktown street for a piece of developable land more than 600 feet long. Such sizeable parcels in highly developed Bucktown have become a rare commodity.
Even more rare is the way Turnberry chose to build on the site. Rather than constructing a massive structure with the 115 units zoning allowed, the builder is putting up four intimate buildings surrounded by wide swaths of green space for a total of only 80 condos.
“The great thing about 2300 is that each condo is a corner unit, so it’s comparable in terms of quality to what you have at 4 E. Delaware,” says David Wallach, a principal in Turnberry. “You walk off the elevator and it’s you and just three other owners.”
Not to mention the copious sunlight and airy, independent feeling that come with having a corner unit in a small building. Corner units are the premium ones at most developments, Wallach says, which means that at 2300 St. Paul, there are no second-rate condos.
“The buildings are separated by almost two city lots, about 47 feet between each one,” Wallach says. “Unlike so many buildings in Chicago that are right up against each other, every corner unit receives the full benefit of the green space below.”
On a site 617 feet long, Turnberry has dedicated about 25 percent of the land to green space, including a triangular park roughly 70 feet across. The first floor of each six-story building is devoted to indoor parking. Units don’t start until the second floor and the surrounding structures are low, which makes for the “best views in Bucktown, bar none,” Wallach says.
Views and design have been important factors for buyers in the development, but location also has been key. Bucktown, once an alternative to Lincoln Park, has now become the neighborhood of choice for many, as countless restaurants, cafes, boutiques and entertainment venues have opened in the Near Northwest Side neighborhood, adding to the earlier base of lofts and art galleries.
“People who live in Bucktown tend to love the neighborhood and will move from one place to another within area, so we’ve had a number of buyers who already live there, as well as from other places,” Wallach says. “There’s so much stuff to do there now. The restaurants are incredible and it has a nice urban, neighborhood feel to it.”
Units at 2300 St. Paul, designed by Hartshorne & Plunkard, have two bedrooms and most have two full baths. Prices range from the $230s to the $280s, and more than 100 parking spots, both indoor and outdoor, are available.
Unlike at some other developments, prices at 2300 St. Paul include a high level of finishes, so buyers won’t be bled dry on upgrades. The condos have balconies, fireplaces, granite counters, marble master baths, hardwood floors in living areas and solid-core doors throughout.
“There aren’t very many upgrades a buyer needs to live luxuriously here,” Wallach says. “There are upgrades you can pick out, but with our base features, those are pennies on the dollar. At other projects, when you’re going from laminate to granite, it becomes a real expense.”
That approach has helped move sales at 2300 St. Paul, which at press time, had sold 47 of the 60 units now on the market. At press time, Turnberry was getting ready to open its new finished model at the development.
Buyers meanwhile, have been giving rave reviews to Turnberry’s innovative Web site, www.turnberryproperties.com, according to Wallach. The site uses a new tool called “BuilderFinish” that allows buyers to choose their finishes and amenities online. Buyers log onto an individualized page for their unit. After adding and changing various finishes room by room, they can take a virtual look at how their completed condo will look.
“We’re really happy with the Web site and buyers love it,” Wallach says.
Turnberry, which consists of principals Wallach, Michael Ezgur, Greg Braun and Sherwin Braun, has been very active in the city since its inception in 1995. Wallach, Ezgur and Greg Braun are partners in the law firm of Ezgur Wallach & Braun, which still handles real estate law for many local developers. Sherwin Braun, Greg’s father, is a well known local architect who came out of semi-retirement to be a part of the development venture.
Turnberry’s other current projects include 1001 W. Madison, in the West Loop, where remaining units range from the low $200s to about $400,000. The project is 65 percent sold and soon will be home to a ground-floor Starbucks, the first in the neighborhood. Sheridan Shore Courts, 7021 N. Sheridan, is a Turnberry project in Rogers Park. The vintage condo conversion offers mostly two-bedroom one-bath units priced from the $130s to the $170s.
Jameson Realty Group, www.jameson.com, is marketing all of Turnberry Properties’ current developments.